Sofia Vergara Opens Up About Divorce: ‘I Didn’t Want To Be An Old Mom’

Sofia Vergara, 51, just broke her silence on her divorce from Joe Manganiello, 47, after announcing their separation in July 2023.

At the time, the former couple released a joint statement: “We have made the difficult decision to divorce.” Stating that they still “love and care for one another very much,” they added, “we politely ask for respect of our privacy at this time as we navigate this new phase of our lives.”

Last summer, many theories swirled about the cause of the two actors’ divorce. For one, a source told Page Six: “Sofia and Joe have been growing apart for a while now and are taking some distance from each other to contemplate their future.” Meanwhile, other outlets reported the possibility of another reason — Manganiello may have wanted children, while Vergara preferred staying a mother-of-one to son Manolo Gonzalez Vergara, 32.

While their divorce was arguably the chisme of 2023, Vergara is finally setting all the facts straight.

Sofia Vergara explained the reason behind her divorce: “My husband was younger; he wanted to have kids”

As mentioned, many outlets already suspected that Vergara and Manganiello divorced due to not being on the same page when it came to having children.

In July 2023, a source told Page Six that the “True Blood” actor always wanted children. However, Vergara reportedly wanted no more kids, leading to the divorce. As per the source, the Colombian actress may have been open to the idea when they married in 2015 — but later preferred sticking to being a mother-of-one.

Fast-forward to this week, though, and Vergara is finally speaking out about the divorce on her own terms. In an interview with El País, she stated: “My marriage broke up because my husband was younger; he wanted to have kids, and I didn’t want to be an old mom.” Meaning… sometimes online chisme is true?

Describing her experience being “newly divorced” after her 10-year relationship with Manganiello, Vergara said she is way past motherhood. “I had a son at 19, who is now 32, and I’m ready to be a grandmother, not a mother.” In fact, she said that she believes having a child at 51 would not be “fair to the baby,” although she “respect[s] whoever does it.”

“That’s not for me anymore,” she asserted.

So, what is in the cards for Vergara’s personal life? Well, a package deal, so to speak. “If love comes along, he has to come with [his own] children,” she stated. And because the “Modern Family” actress always keeps it real, she added: “I’m almost in menopause; it’s the natural way of things.”

So, will the actress become an abuelita soon? She hopes so. “When my son becomes a dad, let him bring the baby to me for a while, and then I’ll give it back to him and go on with my life; that’s what I have to do.”

Now, the “Modern Family” actress says she is “moving on”

In a separate interview with CBS Sunday Morning, Vergara also spoke a bit about her divorce from Manganiello.

For one, all those online theories about her divorce didn’t shock her. “You’re out there [in the media], and people know. That’s part of being a celebrity,” she explained. “I knew it was gonna happen. You can’t hide those things.”

Still, she said the press didn’t go too crazy when spilling her divorce tea. “It wasn’t bad… I think, you know, I have to say the press was very respectful and very nice.” She added, “I thought that [the media was going to] invent more things, and you know, how it usually is.”

“I was surprised and, you know, they, they kind of just said what it was, and that was it.”

Vergara later said point-blank, “I’ve been moving on,” and we love that for her

The actress also spoke to CBS about her role as real-life narco boss Griselda Blanco in the upcoming Netflix series “Griselda.” Vergara stated, “For me, as a woman, I was fascinated. How did she become even more ruthless and horrific than any man?”

Vergara added that “The Sopranos” character Tony Soprano inspired her in preparation for the role, saying, “I wanted her to be a character that people didn’t hate, even though it was a bad guy.”

She also described being the perfect person to tell this story, especially due to growing up in Colombia. “Unfortunately, I grew up in Colombia during the 70s, 80s, and 90s, when narcotraffic was booming.”

“I know those people [and] was surrounded by them,” she recalled. “I know what they did… what that kind of business can do to a family, to a person, to a country. Vergara also spoke about how her own brother, Rafael, was killed during that time. “My brother was part of that business. I know what it feels like. I know what that world is.”

One more thing? Vergara cemented her status as a Latina queen by keeping it very real on CBS. At the end of the interview, she stated: “You have to work more than anyone if you have an accent like me.”

“You have to prove yourself more if you’re a minority,” she added. “You have to be more serious because you might not get that many opportunities.”

“It hasn’t been easy, but I mean, it’s been amazing.”